Meet the Parents
by defyingnormalcy
Summary: Sequel to Dressed to Impress, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Andrea brings Sharon and Rusty to her parent's home for the weekend. Hobbs/Raydor


Andrea secured the duffle bag over her shoulder and eyed Sharon and Rusty, who were standing by the car, still and looking a bit paler than normal.

Sharon wore a pair of dark wash jeans and a coral-red blouse, on her feet; she wore a pair of nude coloured flats. Rusty was wearing a pair of dark jeans as well, with a casual white button down shirt tucked smartly into his pants; he had offered to carry both his bag and Sharon's, so both were resting on his shoulders.

"Got your bags?" Andrea asked brightly, hoping to ease their very obvious discomfort.

Rusty nodded. "Yeah," he said. He looked at Sharon for reassurance.

Sharon smiled and put one arm around his shoulders. "Come on, I bet Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs are going to love meeting you," she said to him, hoping to calm his nerves. She knew that his anxieties were probably ten times worse than her own for this weekend.

"That's right," Andrea acknowledged. "My mom can't wait to meet you Rusty, I think she's grown bored of my nieces and nephews and is looking for someone new to spoil." She winked at Rusty, who gave her a half-hearted grin.

She led Rusty and Sharon to the front door of her parent's Santa Barbara home, before she could even reach out to ring the doorbell, the large custom oak door swung open.

"Andrea!" An elderly woman, in her mid-seventies, with the same blonde hair and piercing blue eyes as Andrea, greeted the three of them. "Oh honey it's so good to have you home," she said as she embraced her youngest child.

Andrea returned her mother's embrace with one arm as she tried to balance her bag with the other; for a woman of her age, her mother was still surprisingly strong.

"Come in," she said as she held the door open wider for the three of them to enter her home. "Sharon, Rusty, it's so wonderful to finally meet you," she said as they made their way inside the house's foyer.

Sharon smiled warmly at Andrea's mother. She was a good few inches shorter than herself; her blonde hair was cut into a face-framing bob, which highlighted her elegant bone-structure, another feature which Andrea had inherited. Sharon held her hand out in a friendly greeting, but found herself being pulled into a hug instead. A bit surprised, but touched by the warmth of the gesture, she accepted the hug.

"It's lovely to meet you too Mrs. Hobbs," Sharon said politely as they parted.

"Please, call me Martha. Andrea tells me that you're a police Captain? Is that right?" she asked with twinkling eyes. "So you two met at work?" It seemed that Martha Hobbs was not one for subtlety. She had wasted absolutely no time in getting right to the questions that she wanted answers to.

Beside her, Andrea shook her head incredulously at her mother. She was impossible sometimes. "Yes mom, we've been over this," she said, trying not to let her impatience show.

"Oh hush, I want to hear it from Sharon," Martha said, waving her daughter's protests off, "Go on dear."

Sharon looked from Andrea to Martha and grinned amusedly. Her partner, it seemed, had inherited a bit of her mother's personality as well. "Yes, we met at work. My department is one of the many that Andrea coordinates with to convict criminals," she explained patiently.

"And you've been with the LAPD for how long?" Martha inquired.

"Oh, um, twenty-five years this year," Sharon said, quickly doing the math in her mind. "Prior to that I actually studied law myself, though I decided against practicing it."

"Andrea's been working as a DDA for twelve years. I'm just wondering why it took you so long to court my daughter," Martha said sweetly.

"Um, I…," Sharon stumbled. Next to them, Andrea stared open mouthed at her mother; her face was burning with embarrassment and outrage.

Martha burst into laughter at the sight of the two of them. "Oh dear, I am just yanking your chain. Don't worry, I'm thrilled to meet you," she said as she patted Sharon's shoulder. "It's been awhile since Andrea has let us meet anyone, I had to have a little fun at her expense," she apologized.

Behind Sharon, Rusty snickered softly at Martha's prank.

"Well, I am glad that someone found it funny," Martha said as she winked at Rusty. "And I hear that you are quite the accomplished chess player!"

Rusty readjusted the bags on his shoulder self-consciously. "Yeah, I'm pretty good," he said sheepishly.

"Excellent! My husband has started playing since he retired recently; he's terrible at it so maybe you can teach him? Hmm?" she inquired as she ruffled his hair and squeezed his shoulder.

"Sure," he said, "I could do that."

"Perfect," Martha said as she patted his shoulder one last time, "he's just stepped out now but he'll be back in time for lunch. You three go get yourselves settled upstairs and take a nap if you like. Lunch will be ready in two hours," she said warmly.

XXX

Andrea had led Rusty to her brothers, James and Brian's old room before leading Sharon to her old room, just down the hall. Her parents had preserved their children's rooms as best as they could when the five of them moved out. Andrea's room was the smallest, as she was the only child of the five Hobbs children who did not have a sibling to share with. She eyed her old twin-sized mattress amusedly.

"Good thing you like to sleep close," she chuckled. "Damn, I forgot how tiny this room was. Been awhile since I stayed for an overnight visit with them."

Sharon had placed their bags on the dresser across from the bed, and was observing the room with a fondness in her eyes. "So this is it, this is where Andrea Hobbs grew up," she said softly as she caressed the tiny bookshelf near the window. The shelves were empty now, but it wasn't hard to imagine them full of trophies and textbooks when Andrea was a child.

"This is it, " Andrea confirmed as she lay back on her old bed. She braced her head on her hands and sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "Home sweet home."

Sharon grinned at the scene before her, of her adult lover lounging in her childhood bed. She sat perched at the edge of the bed and grinned down at Andrea.

"Come here," Andrea said as she tugged Sharon to lay down with her. Sharon obliged, and she winced as she tried to find a comfortable spot on the narrow mattress.

"This mattress is awful," Sharon huffed as she curled up against Andrea's side.

Under her, Andrea laughed. "This mattress is close to forty years old. They've never changed it. Anyway, you usually sleep more on me then the mattress so you'll be just fine. It's me who is going to have all kinds of kinks in my back come Monday morning," she grimaced.

Sharon ghosted Andrea's jawline with soft kisses. "I'll rub your back for you when we get home. And I'll kiss all your sore spots better," she purred.

Andrea turned her head to face Sharon. "Promise?" she asked huskily. Sharon's reply was in the form of a kiss so sweet and so soft that Andrea felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. "You know," she whispered as they parted, "it's considered good luck to make love in your childhood bed at some point in your adult life." She regarded Sharon with a suggestively raised eyebrow.

"Bullshit," Sharon hummed against Andrea's smirking mouth. "Just how many women have you used that line on?" she asked teasingly. She didn't honestly begrudge the fact that Andrea had probably brought other women home and shared this bed with them. But sometimes Andrea made it just too easy to tease her.

"I can promise you that you will be the last," she replied honestly.

"Good answer," Sharon chuckled. She kissed Andrea again, a little harder this time. "But, let's go downstairs and help your mother with lunch."

Andrea pouted. "She told us to take a nap. We can say that we're doing just that."

"Later," Sharon said. "And besides, the last thing I need is for your father to come home while we're…occupied," she warned.

Andrea sighed. "You're right. I'm sure Rusty is a bit anxious too," she said as they say up.

Sharon caught Andrea's hand just as they were exiting the small bedroom. "I like your mother," she said shyly. "She's a bit forward, but she means well and it's obvious that she's a very loving, generous person. Does she…do you think she meant what she said? About her being happy to meet me?"

Andrea cupped Sharon's cheek and kissed her soundly. "When I called to tell my parents about you and Rusty, I told them that I was planning on spending the rest of my life with you. And they were thrilled for me. Because any time I'd ever brought someone home, I never once said those words to my parents; and I realized when I called them about this weekend, that they've been waiting my whole life to hear me say those words to them," she said.

Sharon nuzzled Andrea's cheek. "Good," she said softly.

XXX

"Nice of you to join us," Martha teased as Sharon and Andrea entered the kitchen hand in hand.

Martha was stirring a pot while Rusty worked next to her chopping up various vegetables. His sleeves were rolled up and he wore a borrowed apron.

"Well, I see you two have a head start on us," Sharon said as she patted Rusty's shoulder, checking to see that he had been alright on his own with Martha. He gave her a knowing smile at the gesture.

"We're making vegetable stew and bruschetta," Rusty informed them. "We've got it pretty much under control so you two can just sit."

"Where's that rascal of a daughter of mine?" a deep voice said from behind them.

"Dad," Andrea said happily as she met her father in the entrance to the kitchen for a hug and kiss. "It's good to see you," she said; she was grinning from ear to ear.

Her father stood quite tall for a man of his age, his skin was still relatively smooth and he had only the slightest belly, which he wore quite well. The only major tell of his true age was the complete absence of his hair.

"You must be Sharon," he said as he approached her. His one arm was still around his daughter; he extended the other to shake Sharon's hand. "It's very good to meet you."

"It's very good to meet you as well Sir," Sharon said.

"Oh come on now, calling me Sir makes me feel like the old man I am. Call me Nathan," he said warmly. Like his wife, he pulled Sharon in for a hug, which she gladly accepted. Over Nathan's shoulder, she could see Andrea smiling happily at the both of them.

"Thank you Rusty," Martha said as he took over stirring the stew so that she could greet her husband. "You're late," she chided and poked him playfully in the chest.

"Traffic," he grumbled; he kissed his wife on the forehead and then turned his attention towards Rusty. "I hear you're my new coach," he said.

Rusty cleaned his hands on the borrowed apron and held his hand out. "Um, yeah, that's me I guess."

"All this formality!" Nathan laughed; he clapped Rusty on the shoulder warmly. "You and Sharon are family, so relax, have a drink, enjoy our home," he said to both Sharon and Rusty.

"Everybody grab a seat," Martha requested. "Stew's done, lunch is ready." The five of them each grabbed an item to bring to the table, soon glasses were filled, plates were made, and both Rusty and Sharon had relaxed visibly around Andrea's parents.

"So, Sharon, tell me more about how you and Andrea got together," Martha asked excitedly.

"Mom," Andrea sighed as she shot her mother a warning glance.

Sharon chuckled and patted Andrea's leg under the table. "Well, we were friends for quite some time, and then we became very good friends, and then, well, we realized that we were very much in love with each other. I realized that in Andrea, I had found my partner in every way," she said softly.

She'd never been asked to recount the progression of her relationship out loud before, not even to Rusty; he'd just smirked at her knowingly when she mentioned to him one evening that Andrea would be stopping by more often. The first morning after Andrea had stayed over with them, Rusty had greeted them both in the kitchen and asked what Andrea preferred for breakfast. There had been no awkward exchange or drawn out explanations; Sharon had told him that if he ever felt uncomfortable or upset regarding the shift in her romantic life, to tell her, but he'd never once felt that way.

"Well, I am very happy for the two of you. I don't think Andrea's been this happy, well, ever really, thank you for making her a part of your family," Martha said genuinely. "And Rusty," she reached next to her and grasped Rusty's forearm, "it is so wonderful to have a teenager around again. All our grandchildren are grown and off conquering the world and sometimes they forget about us old folks. I hope you'll visit us now that we've met officially, and now that you're on summer vacation," she said, winking at him.

Rusty looked a bit taken aback by her comment, but then his gaze softened and he offered her a slight smile.

"Sharon, Andrea mentioned that you have two other children?" Nathan prompted.

"Yes, I have a son, Richard, Ricky, he's 26 and my daughter Emily is 23. Ricky is starting his residency soon and Emily just started her Masters degree in Art History. They both have places of their own now, but they come by often."

"Do you see them often as well Rusty?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, I mean, we hang out. We mostly keep in contact on Facebook, but it's cool because Emily travels a lot to museums and stuff and I can see where she's been which is really awesome," he shared.

Rusty, who was feeling much more confident now, lead the chatter during the remainder of their meal. He shared the details of what he was studying in school, which was of great interest to Martha as a former high school teacher.

"I always thought that as brilliant as Shakespeare was, he was a bit over taught. Most students who don't study literature beyond high school go their whole lives never reading some of the most brilliant poetry and prose," Martha exasperated as they cleared the table.

"Right?" Rusty said. "I mean, I like his stuff well enough, but like I just wish there was more variety. He's not the only dude who ever wrote a play or a poem."

"Mom has the most amazing library Rusty, you should check it out later. It's just down the hall," Andrea said as she helped to load the dishwasher.

"Yeah, I saw it earlier on my way downstairs, but I wasn't sure if you minded me poking through your books," he admitted.

"Oh honey, it would give me no greater pleasure than to have you 'poke through' that library. Books are meant to be read, but they spend most of their lives collecting dust," Martha sighed.

Sharon watched their exchange fondly. She was so glad that Rusty had opened up to Andrea's parents, and that they could see what a loving child he was. She could easily see how Andrea had grown to be such a loving and thoughtful woman with parents like Martha and Nathan.

"Sharon, would you join me outside for a moment?" Nathan asked. Sharon felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course," she said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Andrea eye them curiously, but she focused on Nathan, who was leading her towards his backyard.

The backyard was a modest size, considering how much larger the house was. There were a few trees and flowerbeds surrounding sporadic outdoor furniture. Nathan led them to a wide bench near a rose bush.

"I know, a lot smaller than the inside, that happens when you raise five kids," he chuckled as Sharon observed her surroundings. "Martha and I always loved children, we had Brian and then James, but we so badly wanted a girl too. Then we had Johnny and Christopher, our twins, and thought we'd try just one more time; finally Andrea was born. At first we were concerned that the boys might make her feel like an outcast. Martha and I always made it a point to raise them with an awareness of social and political issues, especially concerning women's rights. Martha was heavily involved in the marches in the 70s, and we'd bring the boys along when they were a bit older. But, not all parents were as concerned and we worried about the boys picking up poor attitudes in school, which inevitably, they did from time to time."

Sharon listened with genuine interest. Andrea had often talked about how lucky and grateful she was for having grown up with such progressive parents. It was one of the many reasons she had wanted to become a lawyer, she always felt a certain responsibility to uphold respectable laws and to advocate on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves.

"I'll never forget, one time when Andrea was five, and Brian, my eldest, was twelve, he told her that she couldn't play with the soccer ball in the front yard because she was a girl; a bit of bullshit he'd picked up from one of his school friends of course. I was just about to step in, but Andrea beat me to it. She kicked the ball so hard that it hit him, right between the eyes and knocked him flat on his ass," he laughed. "Then she walked over to him, hands on her hips and all, and said, I'll kick the ball if I want to kick the ball. Don't get in my way."

Sharon covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. She shouldn't laugh at Andrea assaulting her older brother, but Nathan's description sounded so…Andrea, that she couldn't help herself. Andrea was never the sort of woman who let obstacles stand in the way of what she wanted; it was one of the many things that Sharon adored about her.

"That sounds very much like your daughter," Sharon said.

Nathan chuckled. "Yes indeed. I was proud of her when she went to law school; I was elated when she chose to be a prosecutor and not a defense attorney. I would have been very disappointed as an FBI agent if one of my kids had chosen to defend the scum that I'd worked so hard in keeping out of this country," he said darkly.

Sharon nodded her understanding. "Yes, I can understand how that might have been very challenging for you as a parent and in your career as well."

He continued. "I always said that anyone who was granted her heart was going to be one helluva woman. And I was right," he said softly. "Andrea was happy before you became a part of her life, but she was never truly joyful. The last few months, I've noticed that she's always smiling, even if she's not. And I've got to assume that you, and your foster son, are the reason," he said gently.

"I love Andrea very much, as does Rusty," she said. "She's become an irreplaceable part of our family, I honestly don't know what I'd do without her."

The odd nights that Andrea had to work overnight, or vice versa, neither one of them slept. The queen-sized mattress that they shared, while it has always seemed like a good fit on her own, felt empty and cold if Andrea wasn't next to her.

He nodded. "I know you do. And I want you to know that I'm really happy for you both. But, there is a condition if you ever want to step foot in my house again," he said seriously.

"And it is?" Sharon asked carefully.

"You come back on a weekend that you can bring your other kids here too. I want to meet them and lord knows we've renovated that house to handle more than one guest sleeping over," he said chuckling.

"That is a condition that I can happily agree to," Sharon said.

Nathan held out his hand and Sharon accepted it. "Welcome to the family," he said.

XXX

Andrea watched Sharon brush out her hair from her rather uncomfortable place in her childhood bed. Sharon was bent over the dresser and mirror that she had used as a child. It was strangely comforting, seeing Sharon blend in so well with the room and furniture from Andrea's past.

Sharon packed her brush and glasses back up before joining Andrea in the narrow bed. "God, you weren't kidding that this thing was small," she grumbled as she crawled into Andrea's arms. The short amount of time they'd spent cuddling here together in the afternoon, as uncomfortable as it was, hadn't been a true representation as to just how awful the mattress really was.

Andrea pulled one of Sharon's legs over her hip and wrapped her arms around Sharon's body. "It's okay, it gives me an excuse to hold you tight," she chuckled as she kissed Sharon's forehead.

"You don't need an excuse for that anymore," Sharon said affectionately.

Andrea toyed with an errant curl for a few minutes. Sharon and her father had spent almost an hour talking in the backyard, and as much as she respected the fact that the conversation and been private, she couldn't help but wonder what words had been exchanged.

"You can ask me you know," Sharon mumbled. At Andrea's frown, she added, "You always fidget when you want to ask me something but aren't sure how to phrase it. Just ask me," she said.

Andrea huffed. Sharon knew her all too well. "You and my dad were chatting by yourselves for quite awhile," she said.

"Yes, we had a lot to say to each other," Sharon said cryptically.

"Can you tell me what you talked about?" Andrea tried.

"You." Sharon giggled at Andrea's frustrated scowl. "It's true. He's happy for us, and he wants me to bring Ricky and Emily over next time we visit them."

"That would be nice," Andrea mused, "but on one condition."

Sharon giggled at the mirror in dialogue between Andrea and her father. "And what might that be?"

"Next time we bring a mattress ourselves, I'll even transport it here myself," she grumbled as she shifted again to readjust her sore back. "I'm not getting any sleep this weekend," she moaned miserably.

"That is a very acceptable condition," Sharon agreed. She reached behind her and handed her pillow to Andrea. "Here," she said as she shifted so that she was laying flat on top of Andrea.

Andrea looked at the pillow. "I don't think an extra pillow is going to help," she said.

"Oh, but it will," Sharon whispered. "I can think of a few ways to get you to sleep soundly tonight. But you might not want your parents hearing."

Realization dawned on Andrea and she grinned wickedly at Sharon. "Is that so?" she asked.

"Mhmm, someone told me it was good luck," Sharon purred against Andrea's collarbone. "And who am I to argue with a lawyer?"


End file.
